Funny you should ask: Who ya gonna call OR What's going on with our ambulance service?

This past Saturday morning I got a call from a local restaurant owner who asked me pointedly, “What's going on with our ambulance service?” She then began to relate to me that one of her customers was in need of medical assistance and had laid on the floor “for nearly an hour” before an ambulance arrived. If you read this past week's Chetek Alert you may have caught the article Short of EMTs, Nov 7 medical 911 calls had longer response times (Section A, Page 5) which gives a more detailed account of the particular circumstances that led to the unique situation of an unconscious man waiting nearly 50 minutes before medical personnel arrived. What gives, you ask?

Read all about it (Chetek Alert)

Well, first let's be clear: The City of Chetek does not run the ambulance service. We do not run the fire department either. Both entities are run by commissions made up of representatives from the city and the surrounding townships which contract with the ambulance and the fire department for services. Chief Ryan Olson is not a city employee, either. The only departments that we truly own are the police department and the department of public works. Otherwise, we're a paying customer just like the other neighboring townships are.

Given the fact that our subsidy for ambulance services was north of $40K in 2020 and looks to be a little more than $46K in 2021, shouldn't we expect 24/7 emergency services? I had a conversation with Chief Olson this morning about the ambulance service in general and about November 7 in particular.

According to Olson, nation-wide volunteer departments like Chetek's are in the same boat scrambling to fill their shifts. There are just not as many EMTs out there as there once were. At the present time there are 23 individuals on his roster all of which are part-time. That is, driving the ambulance or riding shot-gun is not their full time gig. Many of these same individuals are already working in the health care field and are often picking up extra hours at their present place of employment. Only three of the twenty-three live within the city limits. The rest hail from around the county and, in one case, another state.

The log says it all

Due to the demographics of our current roster, the main challenge for Olson is filling evening or weekend shifts. As The Alert reported, on the weekend of the 7^th our own ambulance service was out of service (on account of lack of staff to work the weekend). At the time that the 911 call was placed for the patron at our local restaurant, there were already four ambulances in Chetek responding to calls between 9:30-10 a.m.: Marshfield Medical Center (Rice Lake), Mayo (Barron), Bloomer Community (Bloomer) and Rusk County (Bruce) (and therefore the 48-minute wait time before help arrived). It was, if you will, a “perfect storm.” All total there were 11 EMS calls made this past weekend where help had to come from elsewhere to assist those here with medical care.

Olson explained to me that by ordinance the Chetek Ambulance Service does not triage care. That means that if a 911 call comes in for a student with a broken arm at the school and shortly afterward a call comes in on account of a major accident out on Highway 53, they respond to the incident at school as it is literally 'first come, first serve.' Only dispatch can re-direct them otherwise.

And I haven't even mentioned how the reality of Covid-19 is placing even greater stress on an already undermanned force. In the last week alone there were 30 calls just for Meadowbrook alone. The ice, as it were, is getting pretty thin.

20% of the time
CAS is out of service

In my conversations with local commissioners they assure me that what happened last weekend won't happen again but given the reality of the current health emergency we are all living with I'm not sure they can promise that. In the meantime the city is exploring its options regarding contracting with another ambulance service. That's not meant to be a threat. But the fact that 65% of our population are senior citizens, generally the most medically frail in our community, we should do what we can to make sure that the very best service we can afford is available when someone picks up the phone and dials 911.

If you would like to speak with Chief Ryan Olson of the Chetek Ambulance Commission (CAC) you may do so by calling 715-764-5788.

If you would like to speak to the City's representative on the CAC, please call Alderman Mark Edwards at 715-914-9122.

As always you may call the Mayor to lodge your concern about this matter and any other matter by calling 715-925-6078.

Funny you should ask: "Is the City allowing Trick or Treating on Halloween this year?"

It is the most oft-asked question I get these days: is Halloween on for the City of Chetek? Given the growing concerns about the spike in county Covid cases of late and that, to quote one source I read, that we are at the “tipping point”, should the city take a stronger stance against the time honored tradition of kids going door to door dressed up in their favorite get-up on All Hallows Eve?

Officially, the city has no position on Halloween. We are leaving it
up to parents to decide what they think is best for their children: take them out or keep them home. Many of the kids will already be masked up anyway. Given the unique circumstances of this year, it might be prudent to have your kids add a mask to their costume. But you make the call. At the same time, we are leaving it up to citizens to decide whether or not to participate. Like Yoda once told Luke: “Do or do not”. In other words, if you are of the opinion that handing out candy might inadvertently contribute to the spread of the virus, then simply keep your porch light off (or, if you trust them to not be greedy, leave a bowl of candy out on your porch). On the other hand, if you're fine with it, join in the frivolity but perhaps wear a mask for good measure. (Of course, if you're sick, then you probably shouldn't be handing anything out. Leave that to someone else in your household.)

.

A month or so ago I got an angry voicemail from a local senior citizen who was “disgusted” at the amount of people in local eateries and shops not wearing a mask. Before they hung up – without leaving their name – they scolded me with “Mr. Mayor, you better do something about this!” I suspect they want me to issue a mayoral edict that threatens citizens with a hefty fine lest they don't don a mask. But this: one hour after Governor Evers issued the “Mask Mandate” back in August, Barron County District Attorney Brian Wright informed all county police agencies to not bother sending him any citations for those who had failed to wear a mask in a public place. What good is it, then, to issue a “mask ordinance” if there is no way to enforce it? The point, I gather, is to create peer pressure that leans on people's consciences to mask-up for the good of everyone. But I think it frequently has the opposite affect causing certain people to assert, in so many words, their right to politely decline. Admittedly, I have friends whom I love and respect on both sides of the issue. You probably do, too.

This is a long way, perhaps, from trick or treating but the principle I am invoking is the same: people are responsible for their own personal health. If they choose to send their kids out into the dark to collect candy on Halloween that is their business just like it is the business of residents who feel such a practice is unwise this year to politely not participate. All that we should expect from one another is the grace to disagree about this matter. After all, Halloween comes but once a year. And it looks like for a change it's going to be a beautiful night.

If you didn't catch it in this week's Chetek Alert,

• Trick or treating is being allowed from 4-7:30 pm on Saturday.
• Chetek United Methodist will be hosting Trunk-N-Treats from 4-6 on Halloween.
• The Chetek Lions are sponsoring free hot dogs, candy and chips (while supplies last) for trick-or-treaters at Main Street Park from 5-7 pm on Halloween.

Unfortunately, this year the annual Kids Halloween Costume party (sponsored by the Lions and the Chetek Chamber of Commerce) will not occur as the school is not allowing non-school events to be held on their premises. Also, this year Chetek Lutheran Church is also not hosting trunk-or-treat. Let's hope for better things next year!

"And the winner is..." (or why I voted to begin negotiating with S.C. Swiderski to develop the 39 acres on Knapp Street)

Well, it happened: A few Wednesday nights ago the council finally decided which path forward to take in developing the 39 acres on the west end of town. By a 3-2 decision, with the mayor casting the deciding vote, the council voted to begin negotiating with S.C. Swiderski as the developer of the project. 

"Area 51"/officially 1301 Knapp Street

Here's how we got here: 

For as long as I have been serving as mayor (since April of 2016), I've been told the same thing: Chetek has a shortage of both single-family and rental property. On more than one occasion I have heard Barron County Economic Development Director Dave Armstrong say, “You want people to move here but they have no where to move to.” A corollary observation of this fact is the tale that has been repeated several times by many local business people over the years of, say, a new teacher hired at the school but ends up living in Chippewa Falls or Rice Lake due to their inability to find housing here. I personally know of a retired couple who wanted to return to Chetek recently but due to their inability to find suitable housing are now living in New Richmond. All this to say that the idea of growth and expansion of housing within the city has been on our minds for some time now. 

But just how did we get to this point where we're about to begin negotiating with an actual developer? Well, since you've asked, here's how we got here: 

• 

  The house has since been moved
  

  In June 2018 the council approved the purchase of the 39 acres
  on Knapp Street for $150K. The purchase included a pole shed in the back and the former manager's home on Knapp. 
• Between September 2018 and September 2019, the city commissioned a housing study of the county that several other municipalities helped fund. One of the key questions of the study
  included determining the demand for housing for seniors and workforce individuals. 
• In November 2018, the city closed out Tax Increment District 2 (TID 2). The State of Wisconsin allows municipalities to keep a TID open for an additional year (they are typically active for 20 years) and take the tax money generated from it to be used for affordable (a.k.a. “work-force”) housing. During the year that followed approximately $325K was collected and set aside for potential “seed” money for the future development of the site. 

  

  This is still
  available for review

• In August 2019, the findings of the housing study were presented at City Hall which confirmed Armstrong's prognosis of our need for affordable, work-force housing. 
• At January 2020's council meeting, the council voted unanimously that a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment of the property be conducted. This is a historical overview of the property which seeks to ascertain the viability of developing, in our case, a future subdivision. 
• At March 2020's council meeting we heard back from the engineering firm that had conducted the Phase I. While it was their opinion that no soil testing would be necessary, in the excess of caution the council voted to proceed with a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment. Several soil borings were taken and at the July 2020 council meeting we were informed that while there was tar containing asbestos on the sill of the house's foundation (the manager's house had been sold and moved back in January) that would have to be properly abated, there were no other substances on the property that would pose significant risk to future residents of the development. 
• Toward the end of August 2020, with the help of Dave Armstrong City Clerk Carmen Newman emailed 23 potential developers an RFP (Request For Proposal). Of the 23, only 3 submitted proposals: S.C. Swiderski, LLC (Mosinee), Northpointe Development Corporation (Oshkosh) and Whitehorse Construction (Eau Claire). 

  

• On Tuesday, September 29, the council heard the respective representatives from each company pitch their idea for development. While each developer had supplied material for the council to peruse ahead of time, adequate time was given for council members to ask clarifying questions. 
• On Wednesday, October 7 – just last week – the council convened and went into closed session to talk through the three proposals that had been presented. We talked for exactly one hour and then returned to open session. An initial motion to negotiate with all three developers did not pass as the council ended up in a 2-2 tie, a tie I was not willing to break so it did not carry. A second motion was made to negotiate with S.C. Swiderski. This, too, resulted in a 2-2 tie at which point I cast the deciding vote in favor of the motion. 

Essentially, this is the Reader's Digest version of how we got here. There were several other Plan Commission and Committee of the Whole meetings during this time wherein this development was discussed but these were the major stops along the way. 

So the question is, why did I vote the way I did? 

Before I answer that, I want to reiterate something I told Carl Cooley of The Chetek Alert when he asked me for comment on the Wednesday, October 7 meeting: The fact that I had to cast a deciding vote does not mean that the council members who voted against the measure are against the development. In fact, after a LOT of conversations over the last two years I think I can rightly say that all five of us are of the same opinion: that whatever happens in the area that one member of the Plan Commission humorously refers to as “Area 51” (i.e., the 39 acres on Knapp Street) it should be a combination of both single family homes and rental units. Where the dividing lines are drawn is how we get there from concept to turning dirt and raising roofs. 

 

I won't speak for anyone else on the council - not the ones who voted for the measure nor the ones who voted against the measure to begin negotiating with the same. I'll tell you simply and succinctly: I think the time for talking is over. I think if we stay at this point longer we'll just descend further into the “paralysis of analysis” and keep kicking this around for ever for fear of those who don't like the idea of either development period or development across the street from them. The data shows we need more housing of both kinds – rental and single-family homes. It would be negligence on our part as duly elected officials of the city for us to do nothing to try and meet that need when it was in our power to do something. 

But why Swiderski instead of the other two developers? 

Honestly, I really liked Northpointe's lay-out and concept. Since they only wanted 8 acres and we need 1 acre for a future pump-house, that would still give us 30 acres to work with other potential developers. But to choose that way we would have to be in a hurry as Northpointe needed a decision from us post haste in order to have a

It's difficult to read in this image but
this was Northpointe's proposed plat

chance at the potential tax credits that they stood to gain. While we were assured by both Sean O'Brien of Northpointe and Dave Armstrong (who was asked to sit in on the closed session portion of the meeting) that we stood a better than even chance of being awarded these credits it was not a slam dunk by any means. Had we chosen to go this route I just feel a general sense of being rushed would continue to hound us for some time to come. 

A concept for rentals that Northpointe pitched

As Carl reported in his article, all of us are of the opinion that single-story rental units would be far more aesthetically pleasing than the two-story apartment complex that Swiderski pitched at the council meeting at the end of September. But they have led us to believe that they can work with us on this matter and all the other particulars (such as lot sizes and location and street layout) in developing a beautiful new neighborhood in the city. 

It wasn't clear to me just how Whitehorse was looking at funding the infrastructure just that these matters were all negotiable. Swiderski had a different approach. They're asking that we sell the 38 acres for $1 as well as provide them $400K paid in four installments of $100,000 toward the development of infrastructure on the property. Period. In the grand scheme of things this is, as far as I can tell, a real deal. If we were to put in sewer and water, curb and gutter and road ourselves we were looking at estimates between 1.5-3 million dollars. To only have to put up 13.3% of those same costs seems to me to being smart with the taxpayers money. 

So that's why I voted to begin negotiating with them. They are a developer with a proven track record that doesn't need to raise capital to do this project. What's more they are not in a hurry to get there giving us time to work out the particulars that we hope to see at 1301 Knapp Street. 

To those who think the city should have never bought this parcel of land to begin with especially when we didn't have a plan, I would simply note that Jennie O's, the original owner of the property, was only willing to sell to us, that the property is located right next to the High School/Middle School and the price was right. Our need is for more housing and as they say in real estate, location, location, location. Seems to me that was reason enough to purchase the property. And having kicked around the various paths to development long enough, it's time to pick one confident we'll work the details out as we go along.

Looking in the rear view mirror (the sale of the empty lot on Second Street)

“It has been a mistake living my life in the past. One cannot ride a horse backwards and still hold its reins.”
― Richard Paul Evans

I know this is old news but back in June the city sold the vacant lot where Chetek Cafe used to stand to Russ Chester for $27,790. He wasn't the only one to bid on the lot. Jason Fostvedt bid as well. While Mr. Fostvedt's bid of $20K was accepted and recommended to the council by the Plan Commission, the council by a 3-1 vote (with First Ward Alderman Scott Bachowski voting against the measure) chose to award the bid to Mr. Chester.

Was...

...Is

For the record the Plan Commission or the City are not under any obligation to accept the highest bid simply because it is higher than all the others. If someone wanted to plunk down $50K for the lot with the intent to put up a strip club at that locale I would hope the council would not accept the bid considering this is not in the best interest of the city. The Plan Commission recommended the council accept Mr. Fostvedt's bid because he was present (as Mr. Chester was not) and had a plan to begin turning dirt post haste. Mr. Chester had sent a letter that included his bid but with no clear idea what he was going to do with the property and no definite timeline in which he was going to do it.

But the majority of the council saw it differently. At the special meeting held on June 22, both Jason and Russ were present and this time Russ showed up with plans and a general timeline for the property. As noted by the Chetek Alert's June 24 issue, those council members who voted for awarding Mr. Chester the bid did so simply because his bid was higher. However the measure that the council passed did not commit Mr. Chester to a timeline for building nor specify the size of the building he would construct there (Note: since then Mr. Chester has promised to build something on that lot within the next three years but the worth of the structure he will build remains to be seen.)

It was a very cold day when the old building came down

The week after the article on the sale came out, I was stopped by a concerned citizen who warned me that she was about to give me a piece of her mind. It's okay. It is her prerogative as a tax payer. Here's the gist of what she told me: “I was disappointed that the article did not note that the city originally purchased the old Chetek Cafe building because at the time the city was considering building a new city hall on that block. It seems $217K [$170K to buy the building and another $47-something to abate the building and tear it down] was a lot of money for a lot you only got $27,000 and some odd change for.”

After the dust settled

And she's right about what we were thinking at the time. When we bought the building in 2018 we were thinking of a future municipal building on Stout Street that would be a combination City Hall/Police Department. Our current city hall has different structural and mold issues. We didn't inspect the building at the time because we had no intent to hold on to it. We had hoped to rent it out for a short time but once we took ownership we discovered that the building was in worse shape than it appeared on the outside. On the principle of “in for a penny, in for a pound” we proceeded to tear it down. Because of the condition of the foundation no one would have bought it and to allow it to simply stand and rot away would not have made any sense.

At the same time we purchased that building we had reached out to the Alano Club (next door to City Hall) and inquired if they were interested in selling their building to us as well. We had a couple of meetings with their board and they in turn talked to their members. Their conclusion was that without a suitable place to relocate to, their best option was to stay put. And that's where the conversation kinda stalled out. After I reminded this concerned citizen of this history she looked at me and said, “Mayor, shouldn't you have figured this all out ahead of time?”

When she puts it that way who can blame her or anybody else thinking that the City has been just a bit too cavalier with the taxpayers' money? I mean to realize only 12.44 percent of your original investment does sound a lot like what President George W. Bush used to call “fuzzy math.” Prior to the state shutdown back in March while I was going door to door campaigning for the April election, at one of the homes I stopped at I was told in no uncertain terms what the guy thought of the decision to buy the old Cafe. Let's just say he wasn't as polite as the woman who spoke to me last week but the point was just as clear: somebody's got some 'splainin' to do!

Without trying to sound indifferent to this criticism, my measured response is that at the time it seemed like a reasonable investment of the city's funds. No matter what, we helped a local business expand and remain local and we gained a piece of prime real estate on the main drag. Should we have got more of the moving parts nailed down before we moved ahead with the intent to purchase? Perhaps. As we all know there a lot of things that seem clearer in hindsight. But it seemed like a good move and the council voted – unanimously, mind you - to move forward with the purchase. One day in the future, hopefully sooner than later, a successful business will be operating there generating revenue for the city's benefit. After awhile only the old ones will remember that once upon a time at 803 2^nd Street a successive number of restaurants operated out of the aging and deteriorating structure.

I guess it comes down to how you look at it. In the short term, I admit, it doesn't seem to be a good return on our investment. Time will tell, however. I'm a firm believer in keeping the long view. As the new owner, Russ Chester won't have to figure out what to do with an old building. Even the old foundation was tore out so all he's gotta do to get going is to have a plan. If the city tearing down an old building helps expedite a new business getting launched there well and good.

Over the last four or so years serving as mayor I've come to know for myself that both the department heads – City Hall, Public Works and Police – and those who serve on the council are working steadily to improve our city and make it a better place to live and work in. It's not a perfect science and no one has a crystal ball. Some things just don't work out but that doesn't mean you don't keep on trying. You're only human after all. As Richard Paul Evans so aptly points out, you can't ride a horse backwards. Nope. All you can do is saddle up and ride and continue to try and do the right thing for the city we all call home.

Small towns burn a litte slower

Stout Street Dock as it currenty looks

At this past month's city council meeting a little history was made: Chetek's common council voted 4-0 to expand the present Stout Street Dock from a 1-slip to a 4-slip dock and create an additional 4-slip dock at the city's property at the corner of Knapp and Mound Street. While some may be a little surprised at this sudden turn of events, others are of the opinion that this is an idea whose time has finally come.

Allow me to give a little context:

Early on in 2018, I announced at a city council meeting that we would be discussing the possibility of initiating a room tax as a way to generate another revenue stream. Members of the Chetek Resort Owners Association (CROA) pushed back hard against that idea and after several conversations with various resort owners the council agreed that if the surrounding townships wouldn't follow suit the tax would end up hurting the three resorts that are within the city limits (Outers, Grand View and Shoreview). So we walked away from that idea but not before having a sit-down with some members of the CROA to discuss, among other things, just what we would do if we were ever to realize such a new source of income. Out of that discussion came the idea of sponsoring an amenities survey asking both residents and guests of the City of Lakes what they would like to see added to our community. The survey became reality in the fall of 2018 but was not finally tabulated and published until the following fall in October 2019.

The results were a combination of both the scintillating (a municipal pool and/or splash pad), the interesting (tennis/pickle ball courts) and the eye-raising (“I would like to see St. Boniface offer a 8 a.m. mass” or “I would like a strip joint in town”). Bar none, the pool idea sits atop of the list. But certainly toward the top was the idea of expanding the Stout Street dock so that more boaters could come in off the lake and frequent the eateries, taverns and shops in the downtown area. While the thought of a future municipal pool is tantalizing how to get there from here is pretty uncertain. After paying $750 for conducting the survey, we wanted to get something out of that investment so we settled on pursuing the dock expansion as easier to get to than a potential future pool/splash pad.

The approach to Stout Street dock
(rain garden on right)

In subsequent council meetings we heard from the neighbors on either side of the dock their concerns about this idea at the corner of Stout and First: more noise, more trash, more traffic and more safety concerns about potential boat traffic in front of their lake frontage. Not as outspoken, however, were business owners in town who would frequently post comments on social media or send emails of their support for such an expansion. At the May 2020 council meeting, Ward 1 alderman Scott Bachowski presented the plans of an 8-12 slip dock at Stout Street with offering to build privacy fences on both sides of the city's property as well as extending the dock further out into the water as concessions to the neighbor's concerns. The down-side was that it significantly raised the cost of the project and raised other safety concerns at the same time. If you tuned in and watched those proceedings on Facebook LIVE you know how that went (it was definitely not our best night as a council.)

Following that snafu, the plan went to Parks & Rec where perhaps it should have begun (to be fair, Parks & Rec had not met as a committee during the “shutdown” that began in March prior to the May council meeting.) At that meeting, the original 8-12 slip plan situated much closer to shore and minus the privacy fences was approved unanimously. At the same time, financial commitments of donors were firmed up. During June's council meeting, however, the plan was tweaked yet again by offering to increase Stout Street by only 4 slips and creating another 4-slip dock at the end of Knapp Street. One will be ADA accessible. The other will have stairs. One is three blocks away from the downtown area, the other two. And while the neighbors may still not be keen to the idea of an expanded dock hopefully they recognize that we sympathize with their fear of waking up living next to a marina.

Hopeful future dock at the end of Knapp Street

So, do the math: from October 2018 when the survey was commissioned to June 2020, 20 months have slipped by. While it wasn't on the agenda of every monthly council meeting during that time, it was on many of them as a matter of “old business.” Again, if you've just tuned in this is news to you but for those of us who have been at it for awhile it seems like a real long walk around the block to finally get here.

Small Towns Burn a Little Slower was the name of an indie band out of the Twin Cities that played together from 2002-2008. I couldn't tell you any of their songs. I was just acquainted with their bass player. In any case, I love the name of their band because to me it's a perfect metaphor for how we roll here in Chetek. I've just begun my fifth year serving as mayor and from my perspective is that this is how city business gets done: talk, talk, talk, mull, mull, mull, talk, talk, talk and then...the glacier moves 1 inch. Okay, maybe that's an unfair exaggeration but for sure we don't burn here. We smolder. It takes a long time for an idea to ripen – if it ripens at all.

At next month's council meeting, we will hear the official results from the Phase 2 report from Cedar Corp about the soil samples they recently took on the 39 acres the city purchased back in 2018. At that time we were told by Dave Armstrong, Barron County Economic Development Director, that we had a housing shortage. “You want people to move here but they have no place to move to.” Carmen reached out to Jenny O's if they had any plans for the property and if not, we were interested in buying it if the price was right. They offered it to us for $150K. 39 acres and a house at that price was a steal. I don't recall the sequence of events but in 2019 we sponsored a housing survey to be taken county-wide which only confirmed what Dave had been telling us. If we want to see our population (and our tax-base) grow, then we have to do more than “hoping for the best.”

We sold the house and had it moved. We conducted a Phase 1 for the property (essentially a history of the use of the place) and for good measure we conducted a Phase 2 (even though the engineer had informed us it really wasn't necessary). Providing the soil sampling does not provide any unsettling results, the real question that the council has to answer is what should we do next? Hire an engineer to, with the Plan Commission's help, map out a future subdivision or sell it outright to a potential developer? Clearly, there are a lot of details yet to work through.

Small towns burn a little slower indeed. It just takes time. Everyone wants the same thing – what's best for the city both now and in its future. And I haven't even mentioned the future of our Waste Water Treatment Plant. There's another smoldering issue out there that has to be worked through. Add it to the list.

And what about the expansion of the docks? When will it happen?Yes the council gave the green light to the project but now a very thorough and cumbersome permitting process with the DNR begins. Wouldn't it be great that we would see both docks on the water by season's end? It would be but don't hold your breath. Like everything else we do, these things take time.

Now what? (Life now that the Stay at Home order has been overturned)

“But according to the Code of the Order of the Brethren...”

“The code, Miss Turner, is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules.”

Captain Barbossa to Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

On Wednesday night, May 13, an hour before the monthly city council meeting, the news went out that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had struck down Governor Ever's Safer at Home order essentially taking the teeth out of that dog's bite. The day before that our own sheriff Chris Fitzgerald had released a letter stating his intention to no longer enforce an order he considered unenforceable. So the question on everyone's mind is “Now what?”

Can restaurants and taverns open?

Can worshipers return to worshiping inside their sanctuary regularly instead of on-line?

And will there be a Memorial Day parade or Liberty Fest?

The day after the Supreme Court's ruling I happened to be hiking on the Ice Age Trail south of Stevens Point when I received a call from one of the owners of a local eatery wanting to know if they could open. They had been unsuccessful in reaching anyone at HHS and wanted to know if I had heard anything. While I hadn't I offered to reach out to Program Manager for Public Health Laura Sauve and she informed me that since the Safer at Home order had been struck down that there was no official order restraining them from opening. That being said she encouraged the owners to check in with Dave Armstrong at Barron County Economic Development in their preparations to open up their doors to make sure they were following recommended guidelines.

On Friday, Barron County Executive Jeff French made public Barron County COVID-19 Guidance for Community Members, Businesses, and Community Organizations. In a conversation I had with him prior to its release he wanted to emphasize that these were not rules per se with ramifications of enforcement but simply guidelines for people to reference. Unlike an armistice at the end of a war when people run out into the streets to celebrate, the threat of people becoming infected with the virus remains real. So the gist of what I got from Jeff is get back to living but do so responsibly.

So, can a restaurant or tavern open? Well, they already are so, yes. They are encouraged, however, to responsibly arrange their tables within their dining establishment, to offer hand sanitizer and encourage “social distancing”, that phrase that is now part of our daily parlance. So dine responsibly.

Can churches re-open? While the county's official position is to continue to discourage gatherings of 10 or more at this time they will defer to each congregation or denomination to determine under what conditions they reopen. Two local congregations “re-opened” this past Sunday and others will soon follow. I know definitively that no one from Chetek PD or Barron County will be issuing citations to any congregation that decides to gather in their building. My guess is all of us who have been on-line these past 8 weeks will remain on-line in the future as a service to those who feel uncomfortable participating in a large gathering right now or simply because we discovered that by being on-line creates another door to our ministry. Worship responsibly.

And what about graduation? The operations of our schools are governed by the Department of Public Instruction and what they say goes. I know that a few weeks ago C-WHS was working on a plan to hold a graduation ceremony on the football field but that idea got shot down by “the powers that be.” While I don't speak for the schools at this point I am not aware of any formal graduation plan for the graduates of the Class of 2020. I'm sure Superintendent Johnson and Principal Zeman will keep parents and students in the loop when their plan becomes do-able.

And what about Memorial Day observances and Liberty Fest? Again, while these beloved events occur within city limits they really are not run by the city. The American Legion oversees Memorial Day observances and the Chamber is responsible for Liberty Fest. Last week Robert Lund of the American Legion reached out to me wondering about the city's official position on parades to wit I replied that officially we have none. While I'm pretty sure there will be something going out on the bridge and then at the new Veteran's Memorial across from Lake View Cemetery this coming Monday, it definitely won't look like what we're used to. Observe responsibly.

Same goes for Liberty Fest. We lost the Fishy Four this year but that was the C-W Scholarship Foundation's call. It is their fundraiser after all. In my brief conversations with Chamber event coordinator Jennifer Blatz she remains certain that there will be fireworks and hopeful for a number of the other standard Liberty Fest events like the craft show, the car show and, of course, the parade. But again that is the Chamber's call.

The other night I thought I heard Governor Evers say on one of the nightly news programs that with the Supreme Court's ruling it was now the "Wild West" in Wisconsin as anything goes. I beg to differ. Before this all began our way of life ran for the most part on certain firm ground rules and a lot of common sense. There will always be that pull for more “rules and regulations” to govern how we do

things. But the minute you invent a rule a governing authority has to be ready to enforce that rule which comes back to Sheriff Fitzgerald's argument: there are simply not enough cops and deputies to enforce all the rules. Every restaurant and tavern owner wants customers in their establishment. Every pastor wishes for more people in their sanctuary. Trust them to do what must be done to make sure that eating, drinking and worshiping may be done in a safe and responsible manner. I think we're gonna be okay. But we'll know soon enough if my faith in common sense is well-placed – or not.

The parks are open and the playground equipment too. Same goes for the bathrooms there. You'll note a sign on the bathroom doors that indicates how often they are cleaned. They'll also be locked at night. You be the judge. If you're comfortable knowing that we cannot clean the bathrooms every four hours as HHS is recommending then you're welcome to use them. And if not, well don't – but please don't pee in the bushes instead!

A lot of us see things differently. Some think we should have never shut down. Others think we're rushing way too soon to get back open. And a lot of us find ourselves somewhere in between. Let's be nice to each other and be gracious to another as well as we all try to navigate these strange waters the best we can.

OPEN (a four letter-word worth saying over and over again)

It has begun.

Slowly yet surely the “open” lights are beginning to come back on around town.

Two weeks ago, golf courses opened.

Last week, area resorts threw down the welcome mat.

And tomorrow – Tuesday, May 12 – 61 days after the Safer-at-Home order was given, local retail shops like Whimsical Wares, Lucky Day, and Time Again will open their doors to customers after Governor Tony Evers issued yet another order from Madison permitting them to do so.

Today Chief Ron Ambrozaitus and myself reached out to the owners to make sure they had seen the most recent order (of course, they had) and understood what the conditions of that order were. The number one question we most wanted to know was: “When do you think you can open?" Here is what they told us:

Wendy from Whimsical Wares:

OPEN!

“Tomorrow or Wednesday by the latest.”

Terry Warren from Time & Again:

“Tomorrow! I'm so excited!”

The Moulettes from Lucky Day:

“Probably by the weekend. We want to confer with the other owners in town so that we're all on the same page.”

Bill from Candy Corner & Creations:

OPEN!

“We'll be open this weekend. This is such great news!”

Lori & Kelly from Off 'R Rockers:

“We're shooting for this weekend!”

(We were unsuccessful in reaching Kelly Timm of Carpe

OPEN!

Diem.)

And what of the eateries and the taverns in town? When do they get to open? That's anybody's guess. As it stands, officially May 26 but the Supreme Court is still conferring and the politicians in Madison are still working out deals in those proverbial “smoke-filled” rooms down there. We can only keep hoping for the best. But a baby step like this is still something to celebrate.

Other “newsie” items:

• The special election for Representative Sean Duffy's former seat is TOMORROW (May 12). You may vote in person at City Hall. Election workers will be masked and gloved and you will be need to don gloves at the door. The machine will be periodically wiped down. Unlike the April election if you are voting by absentee ballot it is too late to mail it. Simply drive by City Hall and drop it off.
• The Chetek Food Shelf is adequately stocked and then some. You may see on the national news that there are food shortages in certain places but NOT HERE. The Chetek Food Shelf is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am – 1 pm for all residents of the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District.
• The MAY council meeting is on WEDNESDAY, May 13 on account of the special election on Tuesday. The meeting will begin at 6 pm as usual. There will be three lines available for the public comment portion of the meeting. If you have something you would like to share with the council please call (715) 924-4838 and you will be placed on speaker phone. You may also join via the Chetek Alert's LIVE Facebook feed and add your pubic comments at that time in the meeting. While the council does not any action on what is shared with them it is your opportunity to be heard. Seating is limited in chambers in order to comply with social distancing recommendations.

Here are the recommendations that they will be operating under:

From Dave Armstrong (Barron County Economic Development Director)

We are all eager to “get on” with living. I so appreciate how this town cares for each other. Here's a message I got from one of our local businesses still able to serve food during this time: “We live in an awesome community! People have been awesome.” I'm sure we all agree. But the rest of their sentence was “but with that being said I can't do just take-out much longer. I am waiting to hear when we can open...” Let's keep hoping for their sake and for everyone elses that's sooner than later.